Some conventional directed-energy systems use a single high-power microwave source fed into a high-gain antenna to generate directed-energy. High-power microwave sources, such as Klystrons, are very expensive, require high-voltages to operate, tend to be fragile, large and bulky, and may require separate support systems, such as a cooling system.
Some other convention directed-energy systems use a very large number of coherent lower-power microwave sources in which coherent energy is combined with an array antenna. One problem with these techniques is that coherent microwave sources are expensive and complex, generally utilizing a feed network to distribute a frequency reference to each of the sources.
Thus, there are general needs for high-power microwave systems and methods for generating high-power directed energy that are less expensive and do not require coherent generators. There are also general needs for high-power microwave systems and methods for generating high-power directed energy that do not require high-voltages, may be more durable, smaller and less bulky, and/or do not require separate support systems, such as a cooling system.